3DownNation awards: the best and worst of Week 8

Photo: Arthur Ward/CFL.ca

Week 8 in the Canadian Football League is officially in the books. Before we get into Week 9, let’s take one last look back to recognize the best and worst performances from games around the league.

These awards are selected by 3DownNation’s contributors and will be presented weekly throughout the 2026 season. Enjoy.

Offensive player of the week: QB Cody Fajardo, Edmonton Elks

Take a bow, Mr. Fajardo. This was a career night for the 34-year-old, as he completed 25-of-32 pass attempts for 510 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Elks to a 36-34 win against his longtime team. This was one of the finest performances in CFL history, as Fajardo joined Tobin Rote (1960), Danny Barrett (1993), and Jason Maas (2004) as the only quarterbacks in CFL history to throw for 500-plus passing yards, four-plus touchdown passes, and zero interceptions in the same game.

Honourable mention: RB Tyreik McAllister, Calgary Stampeders

Defensive player of the week: DB Benjamin Labrosse, Calgary Stampeders

The former first-round pick was a backup for Calgary’s first six regular-season games and finally got a chance to start this week at field-side cornerback. The Montreal native made the most of the opportunity, as he intercepted Dru Brown three times. Labrosse may have also made a boneheaded decision to lateral the ball away on one occasion, though it’s easy to overlook that error considering he generated three takeaways.

Honourable mention: DL Jaylon Hutchings, Calgary Stampeders

Special teams player of the week: K Vincent Blanchard, Edmonton Elks

The Quebec City native went three-for-three on field goals and three-for-three on converts to help his team in Regina on Thursday night. What really put Blanchard’s performance over the top was his 57-yard field goal on the game’s final play to secure the walk-off win. The Laval product is now 20-of-21 on his field goal attempts this season.

Honourable mention: RB Tyreik McAllister, Calgary Stampeders

Breakout player of the week: REC T.J. Luther, Edmonton Elks

Fellow Elks receiver Joshua Cephus was our most recent breakout player of the week and now it’s Luther’s turn. The 26-year-old caught 10 passes for 157 yards against Saskatchewan, helping Edmonton improve to 6-1 with a 36-34 win. Luther spent time with five different NFL teams before coming north but didn’t see any regular-season action. Thus far, he’s making the most of his opportunity in green and gold.

Honourable mention: DL Nuer Gatkuoth, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Offensive line of the week: Montreal Alouettes

The unit of Nick Callender, Pier-Olivier Lestage, Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, Donny Ventrelli, and Tiger Shanks controlled the line of scrimmage against Hamilton, helping Travis Theis rush 19 times for 156 yards and one touchdown. Montreal’s passing attack was much quieter than usual, as Davis Alexander threw for only 187 yards, though the Most Outstanding Player candidate was only sacked once.

Honourable mention: Edmonton Elks

Coach of the week: OC Jordan Maksymic, Edmonton Elks

The Elks had an offensive outpouring of epic proportions this week, as Cody Fajardo threw for a career-best 510 yards and four touchdowns. Edmonton’s offence has played well at times this season, though it’s always run through Justin Rankin. This past week, the Elks proved they can be a top offence even when Rankin is held relatively in check by the opposition.

Honourable mention: OC Pat DelMonaco, Calgary Stampeders

YOU CAN’T CATCH THAT MAN

Jalen Philpot (@JalenPhilpot5) breaking tackles like he was greased up at halftime!#CFL #Stampeders #TogetherWeRide pic.twitter.com/4vgYWVatxw

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) July 25, 2026

Best play of the week: Jalen Philpot’s touchdown catch

Tyson Philpot has received a ton of attention so far this season but his twin brother is pretty darn good, too. The native of Delta, B.C. broke three tackles en route to a 69-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half, giving the Stampeders a boost after halftime. The 26-year-old ran a nice route to find a hole in zone coverage, then used his running ability after the catch to get the score.

Honourable mention: Nic Demski’s touchdown catch

Tre Ford tossed the game away like day-old trash🗑️

Robert Kennedy III (@poogie2x_) kindly accepts the gift and the victory.#CFL #AlsMTL #Alouettes pic.twitter.com/hM3QKdoDgK

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) July 27, 2026

Worst play of the week: Tre Ford’s interception

The native of Niagara Falls, Ont. had a chance to engineer a two-minute, 70-yard touchdown drive to lead the Tiger-Cats to an upset win over Montreal. Instead, he checked the ball down to defensive back Robert Kennedy III on the first play of the drive, essentially ending the game. Myron Mitchell was the only receiver in the area but Ford missed him by a mile. Hamilton managed only 228 yards of net offence in the loss to fall to 3-4.

Honourable mention: David Ungerer III not getting down before haltime

Best game of the week: Edmonton Elks at Saskatchewan Roughriders

It was an emotional night at Mosaic Stadium, as the Roughriders held a pregame ceremony to pay tribute to Regina resident Bhishma Rajyaguru and team captain Jayden Dalke, both of whom had died in a car crash five days earlier. The ensuing game was arguably the best of the season this far, as Cody Fajardo and Trevor Harris combined for 896 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception. There were eight lead changes until Vincent Blanchard ultimately sealed the win for Edmonton on an incredible 57-yard walk-off field goal.

Honourable mention: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Montreal Alouettes

Worst game of the week: Toronto Argonauts at B.C. Lions

The Boatmen built a 17-6 lead before Chad Kelly left the game due to a neck injury, then spent the rest of the night treading water while B.C. repeatedly faltered on offence. Chase Brice struggled under centre for the Lions and was eventually pulled for rookie Kaidon Salter, who provided a spark, albeit far too late. This was a relatively low-energy, low-scoring game that never felt close as the home team simply wasn’t able to compete without Nathan Rourke in the lineup.

Honourable mention: Calgary Stampeders at Winnipeg Blue Bombers